Welcome to the 2026 DII men’s basketball championship. After a wild weekend of conference championships, this year’s theme to the college basketball tournament should be “where anything and everything can happen.” The top five or six teams should be able to showcase their dominance; however, there could be upsets galore, and with only a handful of elite teams entering the bracket, it will make predicting the DII Men’s Elite Eight very difficult.
🏆 Follow the tournament in real time: Bracket, schedule, scores
This isn’t so much a prediction as it is a preview of the teams that, statistically speaking, have the best chance to advance. Let’s take a region-by-region look around the bracket, and try to break down which team looks the most put together to make it to Indiana for the DII Men’s Elite Eight. More importantly, let’s take a look at some of those under-the-radar teams to watch that could surprise the nation and play for a national championship.
A region-by-region look at the DII men’s basketball bracket
Atlantic Region
Team to beat: Gannon. While Gannon looks like the team to make it to the DII Men’s Elite Eight, this will be no walk in the park. West Liberty and Fayetteville, like Gannon, are of the Jim Crutchfield ilk and Gannon could very well have to go through both to reach the finals. However, Gannon may run the system better than any team not named Nova Southeastern: They are second in scoring, third in scoring margin, first in offensive rebounds per game, second in total rebounds per game and first in turnovers forced. The Golden Knights lost the PSAC championship game in heartbreaking fashion. That won’t be forgotten.
Team to watch: Fayetteville State. Head coach Devin Hoehn played under Crutchfield at West Liberty and coached with him at Nova Southeastern. He took Bluefield State to the CIAA championship game after leading the conference in scoring last season, and in his first year with the Broncos, he captured the CIAA title and auto bid to the tournament. Once the team “got it” and understood his system, they were unstoppable, winning their final 17 games in a row and leading the CIAA in scoring. Yes, you are seeing a pattern: The Crutchfield system is DII gold.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 2 West Liberty vs. No. 7 Virginia Union. Atlantic Region fans should rejoice because all four first-round matchups are great. Even Charleston (WV) scores more than 85 points per game, giving the Golden Eagles a chance to run with Gannon. Fairmont State had a thrilling second-half comeback against West Liberty in the MEC championship game but fell just short and will be looking to make a statement. However, this is an intriguing matchup based on revenge. Virginia Union stunned West Liberty earlier this season, so we know the Panthers have it in them to win. This is a very different West Liberty team. New head coach Michael Lamberti, who — wait for it — played for Crutchfield, took some time to get his new team adjusted. The last two months, West Liberty’s offense has looked very tough to beat.
Central Region
Team to beat: Washburn. Since opening tip, the Ichabods have been the biggest threat to dethrone Nova Southeastern this season. They are literally one basket away from being 32-0, and here is the part that should instill fear into 62 other teams in this tournament: They may be playing their best ball of the season right now. They romped through a MIAA tournament, defeating Central Oklahoma by 39 points, Missouri Western by 16 points and Rogers State by 32. This may be the best all-around starting five in the tournament.
Team to watch: Central Missouri. The Mules are back in the tournament for the first time since 2015. They improved from a 15-win team to a 23-win team. These are all good storylines, but none are as good as Lazerek Houston. The freshman hasn’t just been one of Central Missouri’s best players: He’s not only the MIAA player of the year, but he may very well be the DII men’s basketball player of the year. He is averaging 21.1 points with 5.1 assists per game, while shooting a pretty impressive 37.6 percent from 3. In arguably the upset of the season, he went for 31 points in handing Washburn its only loss of the season. Now, we get to see what he can do on DII men’s basketball’s biggest stage.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 4 St. Cloud vs. No. 5 Missouri Western. There are two conference rematches in the first round, so let’s hone in on this NSIC/MIAA showdown. St. Cloud State did not fare well against the MIAA, opening the season 0-2 against Northwest Missouri State and Emporia State in the Hillyard Tipoff Classic, while the Griffons were 2-0 against the NSIC at the same event. Neither of these two teams are tournament regulars — the Huskies return for the first time since 2019, and for the Griffons, it is their first tournament trip since 2021 and the third time since 2010. The Huskies have a significantly better defense on paper, allowing 10 fewer points per game, and are powered by NSIC defensive player of the year Wyatt Hawks. It should be a game driven by heart and desire, with neither team promised a return to next year’s tournament.
East Region
Team to beat: Daemen. Last year, Daemen rolled into the DII men’s basketball championship undefeated and the No. 1 seed in the East. The Wildcats were then stunned by No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas. So far, it has been more of the same this year. The Wildcats are 30-1 and once again undefeated in the East Region (their lone loss was to Gannon). Justin Hemphill, Benjamin Bill, Zach Philipkoski, Ryan Heath and Justin Glover were all there last year and remember that heartbreak. They also contribute 66.3 of the Wildcats 82.8 points per game. Pair that kind of offense with the ECC’s top scoring defense (65.8 points per game), and the East is in trouble.
Team to watch: Bentley. Daemen is head and shoulders above every team in the East, but we saw last year that the Wildcats can be beaten. Bentley could very well win its first round matchup against Saint Michael’s, a team which they split with during the regular season, and face off against Daemen in the second round. That’s where the Wildcats were upset last year.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 2 Felician vs. No. 7 Adelphi. This is a weird portion of the bracket because it is so NE10-dominated. Two of the first round games are NE10 games, so while they should be very good games, they have already played each other several times this season. Felician, the CACC champs, and Adelphi have not played each other this year and haven’t played each other since 2018. Felician has never beaten Adelphi in its short history; however, this is a 27-3 team that scores 83.2 points per game. The Panthers counter with the NE10’s second-best scoring defense. This should be entertaining since both know so little about each other.
Midwest Region
Team to beat: Michigan Tech. The Huskies were the preseason pick to win the Midwest, and while the season didn’t exactly end on a high note, they are still a very good basketball team. They lost three times in their final 11 games, which isn’t terrible on paper; however, a deeper dive shows all the losses were against teams they need to beat to win the region. The defense, even in losses, has been just fine. To win the Midwest, they will need someone to step up and help Marcus Tomashek (20.8 points per game) score some points.
Team to watch: Grand Valley State. The Lakers have been playing very good basketball of late, knocking off Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan in consecutive days to win the GLIAC. They also beat their first round opponent Ashland by 19 earlier this season, so they have a very good record against Midwest tournament teams, sitting at 6-1. They make it difficult on defenses with a handful of players that can score in different ways. Should the Lakers and Michigan Tech both win Round 1, it sets up the fourth battle between the two this season. Michigan Tech hasn’t won one yet. Can this Lakers team beat a nationally ranked team four times in the same season? That would be impressive and make them the team to beat.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 4 Rockhurst vs. No. 5 Northern Michigan. Rockhurst is back in the tournament for the first time since 2009, while Northern Michigan is making its fourth-straight appearance. These are two very different tournament tales. The Wildcats were 3-3 against tournament teams this year, while Rockhurst is 2-2 and suffered an early exit in the GLVC tournament. The Hawks are powered by two 20-point scorers in Drenin Dinkins and Jaylen Wesley, which is a rarity in today’s DII men’s basketball landscape, while Northern Michigan counters with its 20-point scorer in Dylan Kuehl.
South Region
Team to beat: Nova Southeastern. The Sharks are the benchmark in DII men’s basketball. Their style of play has not only been mimicked but has turned entire programs from afterthoughts to tournament contenders. They are hosting the South Region at The Shark Tank, where they have won 102-straight games. They have been to five-straight DII Men’s Elite Eights, three-straight national championship games and are top 5 in a slew of both offensive and defensive categories. There is a reason it feels like only three teams have a chance to beat them in this tournament. It would take the upset of the decade to not see this team in the DII Men’s Elite Eight.
Team to watch: Palm Beach Atlantic. Well, if there is a team that can beat the Sharks, we know it is the Sailfish. They handed Nova Southeastern its lone loss this season… and handed the Sharks their lone loss last season. PBA had the SSC championship game in its grasp until Ross Reeves’ insane 3-pointer tied it at the buzzer, helping the Sharks win in overtime. There are simply not many teams in DII that can even hang with the Sharks, nevermind beat them. The Sailfish have proven they can do both.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 3 West Alabama vs. No. 6 West Florida. The Tigers have not had the best run against West Florida this season. They have one win by a mere three points but have lost the last two to the Argos, including the GSC championship game less than a week ago. The Argos were 4-5 against tournament competition this season, so we’ll see if they have a little more magic left in the Cinderella run.
South Central Region
Team to beat: DBU. As mentioned in the previous Power 10 rankings, it’s not how you start, but how you finish. And what a finish it was for the Patriots. They closed the season on a 25-2 run, winners of 12 in a row, clinching the LSC championship on a buzzer-beater from Trevor Frank. This team looks a lot like the power that made its way to the national semifinals last year and is fueled by some experience — including Frank — that got them there. They went 5-2 against tournament-bound teams over their final 20 games, which is both impressive and telling of how stacked the LSC was this season.
Team to watch: Black Hills State. The Yellow Jackets have been the team to beat in the RMAC from start to finish. Cam Lowe is a beast and deservedly took home RMAC player of the year honors. The issue for the Yellow Jackets was their lack of tournament competition. They only played Colorado Mesa, and while they fared well, it is fair to ask if this team has truly been put to the test just yet. Let’s not forget, BHSU is just two years removed from back-to-back DII Men’s Elite Eight appearances. This program has a winning history.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 4 Western New Mexico vs. No. 5 St. Edward’s. The Mustangs just came off their Lone Star Conference tournament debut and are now making their first trip ever to the DII men’s basketball championship. They went 4-5 against teams in the bracket, and half those wins came against these nationally ranked Hilltoppers. St. Edward’s, while making its second-straight trip to the bracket, does not have much tournament history itself, so this should be an evenly matched game. Their numbers add to that: WNMU averages 78.3 points per game, while St. Edward’s scores 81.4. Conversely, St. Edward’s allows 71.6 points per game and the Mustangs allow 72.6.
Southeast Region
Team to beat: Anderson (SC). It is very hard to go against Lenoir-Rhyne here, but Anderson’s “Big Three” are just too good to overlook. Rashawn Inglemon was the SAC freshman of the year, while AJ Wright Jr. was the conference’s defensive player of the year. Osmar Garcia-Araujo has been as steady as they come, averaging 16.5 points per game on an impressive 65.7 percent field-goal shooting while leading the team in rebounds. In short, this team has talent all over the place and is riding high off its first-ever SAC tournament title.
Team to watch: Lander. Sometimes you don’t need to be the absolute best to be playing your best. The Bearcats are running into the tournament with a lot of momentum, winners of 10 in a row and 16 of their last 17. That includes a decisive 10-point win over North Georgia in the Peach Belt finals, its first tournament title since 2020. Jacob Daniels made a big splash, earning PBC freshman of the year honors and leading the team in points and assists.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. No. 5 North Georgia. Both the Nighthawks and Bears are quite the conundrum. When they are on, they are tough to beat. They have wins against a lot of teams in this portion of the bracket like Young Harris, Columbus State, Lincoln Memorial and Lander, but they have also suffered some losses to the same. The Bears have played one of the toughest schedules in the Southeast — the second toughest among these eight tournament teams — and have fared very well, but also have some interesting losses. North Georgia will have its hands full with a balanced scoring attack, while Lenoir-Rhyne has to find a way to shut down A.J. White. It should be a good one.
West Region
Team to beat: Cal State East Bay. If you follow the Power 10 rankings, you know I have been admittedly harder on the Pioneers than the national polls. Let’s be perfectly clear, this isn’t a Miami (OH) situation, where pundits are saying the 31-0 RedHawks are a bubble team. The Pioneers are the best team in the West Region. They are without question deserving of the No. 1 seed in the West Region and a top 10 team in DII men’s basketball. However, this is also a team that has gone undefeated against the 180th strength of schedule and is making its DII men’s basketball championship debut. There are a lot of factors at play here. This is the team to beat, but keep in mind: There have been four No. 8 over No. 1 upsets overall in the past four tournaments. Two have come right here in the West Region.
Team to watch: Cal State Dominguez Hills. In case you forgot, the Toros were national runners-up a year ago. They lost quite a bit of talent from that team, but here they are right back in the mix. A lot of the faces have changed — they lost four starters — and still racked up 21 wins. The Toros have a tough challenge in Alaska Anchorage, which made the tournament against the toughest SoS in the West Region. If they get past the SeaWolves, there could be another magic run in store.
Intriguing first round matchup: Each and every one of them. There is a reason we call it the Wild West. Anything goes here, and not only could there be first round upsets aplenty, those teams have shown an ability to go all the way to the DII Men’s Elite Eight. Along with those two 8-vs.-1 upsets, keep in mind, over the last four tournaments, not one No. 1 seed has made it to the DII Men’s Elite Eight. If you aren’t paying attention to each first round matchup, you may be missing out on a finals contender.
